(The above line up is the one I consider the best, Tony Jackson’s voice was so distinctive)

Like a lot of Liverpool groups, The Searchers started off by playing skiffle before turning to rock ‘n’ roll. They signed with PYE records, Tony Hatch became their recording manager and their debut disc ‘Sweets For My Sweet’ went to No.1

They appeared with The Beatles on the all-Merseyside ‘Thank Your Lucky Stars’, a television music show popular in the 1960’s, promoting the record and prompting John Lennon to say “I consider it the best record to come out of Liverpool”. Their second recording ‘Sugar And Spice’ was written by Tony Hatch under the name Fred Nightingale, also a No.1 hit. The third recording ‘Needles And Pins’, another No.1, featured Mike Pender as lead volcalist, the different guitar sound is believed to have inspired the American group The Byrds. The Searchers had further UK hits ‘Don’t Throw Your Love Away’, ‘Someday We’re Gonna Love Again’, ‘When You Walk In The Room’ (record that brings back happy memories for me), ‘What Have They Done To The Rain’, ‘Goodbye My Love’ and ‘Take Me For What I’m Worth’. Their biggest American hit, ‘Love Potion No. 9’ was not released as a single in the UK.

Tony Jackson left the group in 1964, after ‘musical differences’ with Chris Curtis who had set himself up as the groups leader as he chose most of the groups songs from his collection of American records, and was replaced by Frank Allen. Chris left sometime later ”physically and mentally exhausted after 6 years strenuous touring”.

The Searchers CD - Sweets For My Sweet was re-released in 1999 on the Castle Pie label and numbered PIESD 001, it features both original artists and the original recordings.